In early January, Yardi returned as an exhibitor and sponsor of the Multifamily Social Media Summit (MFSMS) in Napa, California. The annual event provided a space for multifamily professionals to learn about the latest trends in social media marketing. Keep reading for conference takeaways and ideas to inform your 2019 marketing strategy.

The Loyalty Loop

Social media marketing has changed dramatically over the past five years. Each year, there seems to be a new platform, hack or algorithm shift to think about. At times, attracting and keeping your audience’s attention can be daunting.

Andrew Davis, best-selling author and marketing guru, kicked off the MFSMS with a keynote focused on the new customer journey. The Loyalty Loop, as Davis describes it, “uses the tenants and prospects you have to attract the tenants you want.” Harnessing the power of intentional content marketing and experiential customer care, Davis challenged attendees to rethink the sales funnel.

Want to inspire loyalty in your customer base? “You must pledge to be different,” Davis said.

Questions to ask yourself:

How does your community or company offer a unique experience?

What inspires your tenants to talk about the place they live?

Are you providing content that is helpful to your audience?

“We don’t rent homes, we sell experiences!” says Davis. Making the renter experience great from the start will foster positive, long-lasting relationships with your customers.

Beat the Algorithms

Multifamily marketers are competing with cluttered social networks and everchanging algorithms. During the session “Staying Ahead of the Social Algorithm,” Dylan Sellberg, Product Manager at HubSpot, discussed the latest algorithm changes. His top tips to beat the algorithm:

On Facebook, create and share highly visual content. Using new mediums, such as 3D photos, 360-degree videos and Facebook Live, are incentivized by Facebook, so being an early adopter is a smart move.

Instagram highlights your property’s uniqueness in a highly visual format. Investing in quality photography will benefit your brand. Consider hiring a professional or purchasing equipment to create high-quality photos. Not only do high-quality photos and video perform better, but they also provide a glimpse of the experiences offered at your community.

Video is Here to Stay

“Video is the fastest growing medium in the digital landscape,” shared Jamie Gorski, Chief Marketing Officer at Bozzuto. According to data, 80% of global internet traffic will be attributed to video by 2020.

Gorski, together with Elyse Cosgrove, Founder of Elysees Eye Productions, explored video trends during the session “Video Marketing in 2019: What Should Be Your Focus?”

CEO features, customer stories and behind-the-scenes videos were the most engaging videos of last year. As we get into 2019, they recommended embracing new delivery methods. New mediums, like 360-degree videos, augmented reality and virtual reality, can help your brand stand out from the competition. “Use it now and you’ll be ahead of the game,” said Gorski.

]]>https://www.yardi.com/blog/marketing/social-strategies-for-2019/21580.html/feed0Must-Have 2019 Techhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/news/must-have-2019-tech/21561.html
https://www.yardi.com/blog/news/must-have-2019-tech/21561.html#respondFri, 18 Jan 2019 13:00:43 +0000Luis Estradahttps://www.yardi.com/blog/?p=21561While the coworking industry continues to expand, its important to keep up with the best new technology. Let’s take a look at some of the most latest critical tech components for coworking spaces. CRM Every coworking space should absolutely have a CRM in place. It is truly one of the most integral components to a modern […]]]>

While the coworking industry continues to expand, its important to keep up with the best new technology. Let’s take a look at some of the most latest critical tech components for coworking spaces.

CRM

Every coworking space should absolutely have a CRM in place. It is truly one of the most integral components to a modern thriving workspace. Not only does it assist in lead tracking, but a CRM will improve your relationships with your current and prospective members.

A CRM will streamline lead entry, customer life cycle tracking, vendor relationship management, and many other operational tasks. It drives efficiency and will enhance productivity, and directly leads to greater profitability.

The technology-driven corporate world we live in today demands a CRM. According to a study by Gartner, CRM will be the single largest revenue area of spending in enterprise software by the year 2021.

Not only is the CRM going to be a core tool for sales and marketing, but it will also benefit customer service. Since your members are reaching out via social media, phone, chat, email, and any other method they can find, it’s important to consolidate all their interactions in one place. The uses of a robust CRM are virtually limitless for all aspects of a successful coworking space.

Automated Billing

Whether you operate one space or multiple locations, automated billing is a vital component for success.

Consider the time you’re spending balancing and reconciling your books. Consider the outsourced cost if you hire a bookkeeper. With the market becoming more competitive, shared space supply is increasing, and organized operators can run more efficiently. In many cases, operators streamlining their business with automated billing (among other tech solutions) can offer the same product at a more competitive cost.

Standout softwares combine an accounting package with merchant services. Yardi KUBE has a full general ledger suite and accounting package. It will also feature merchant services, offer a vendor procurement solution, and e-broker component.

Learn more about additional technology for coworking businesses on the Yardi KUBE blog.

]]>https://www.yardi.com/blog/news/must-have-2019-tech/21561.html/feed0Energy Snapshothttps://www.yardi.com/blog/news/energy-snapshot/21548.html
https://www.yardi.com/blog/news/energy-snapshot/21548.html#respondThu, 17 Jan 2019 14:00:41 +0000Joel Nelsonhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/?p=21548The Balance Sheet compiled prognostications on some key energy issues: Coal stays stable. After a two-year decline, global demand picked up in 2017 and 2018. China accounts for about half of the world’s consumption, and growing demand in India and Asian countries is offsetting declines in the U.S. and Western Europe. The U.S. Energy Information […]]]>

The Balance Sheet compiled prognostications on some key energy issues:

Coal stays stable. After a two-year decline, global demand picked up in 2017 and 2018. China accounts for about half of the world’s consumption, and growing demand in India and Asian countries is offsetting declines in the U.S. and Western Europe. The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) forecasts that the country’s electricity generation share from coal will average 26% in 2019, down from 30% in 2017.

Oil retreats. The International Energy Agency and OPEC cut their forecasts for global oil demand growth in 2019, reflecting lower economic growth assumptions. The last time world oil consumption fell was in 2008-09, driven by surging prices and the recession.

U.S.’s natural gas role grows. New liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in Louisiana, Texas and Georgia are scheduled to come online, doubling U.S. LNG exporting capability. China is a key driver of demand as the world’s largest gas importer. EIA expects the share of U.S. total utility-scale electricity generation from natural gas-fired power plants to be 35% in 2019, up from 32% in 2017.

Politics play out. Climate politics will ramp up in the U.S. as the 2020 presidential election campaign gears up. In December 2018, leaders in the House of Representatives announced plans to establish a new panel, the Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

‘Smart’ gets bigger. Investors and building managers will continue making green practices a core part of their business. “’Smart’ buildings are becoming more common because of new technology, which impacts building operations, and provides both efficiencies and connectivity which is increasingly being sought by tenants,” says the Counselors of Real Estate, an international property professionals organization. The Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit research and education group, adds, “Real estate has been proactive on sustainability issues for many years. As a matter of self-interest as well as social responsibility, the industry is moving ahead to advance its sustainability performance regardless of the direction of national policy.” A 2018 global survey of more than 900 property companies, real estate investment trusts, funds and developers by real estate sustainable performance assessor GRESB revealed a 2.47% average reduction in energy consumption and a 4.91% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions for the year.

Renewables expand. The costs of storage renewable electricity and energy will continue to fall, driven by economies of scale and technology improvements. New capacity and power generation from wind and solar power is growing even in emerging economies. Ethan Zindler, head of Americas at Bloomberg New Energy Finance, says, “We’re seeing incredible progress in terms of battery prices coming down, and around the world we’re starting to see projects that combine renewables and batteries to undercut fossil generation.” And, according to the Deloitte 2019 Renewable Energy Outlook, “The U.S. renewable energy sector remained remarkably resilient, gaining ground despite uncertainty about the effects of federal tax reform legislation and a spate of new import tariffs.”

EV sales speed up. U.S. electric vehicle (EV) sales in 2018 exceeded 2017’s total by 130%, according to CleanTechnica, New models from Porsche, Mercedes, Hyundai and other suppliers will liven up the market in 2019. J.P. Morgan projects that EVs and hybrid EVs will account for 30% of all global vehicle sales by 2025. Plug-in electric vehicles represented just 1% of auto sales in 2016.

Learn how the Yardi Smart Energy Suite supports energy management and smart buildings. Stay tuned as we track these and other energy developments throughout the year.

]]>https://www.yardi.com/blog/news/energy-snapshot/21548.html/feed05 Voyager Featureshttps://www.yardi.com/blog/news/5-voyager-features/21542.html
https://www.yardi.com/blog/news/5-voyager-features/21542.html#respondWed, 16 Jan 2019 14:00:51 +0000Lee Ann Stiffhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/?p=21542If you’re currently using Yardi Voyager as your property management platform, make sure you’re taking advantage of all the great features designed to make your job easier — and help your organization meet its goals faster. One of Yardi’s own Voyager gurus, Amy Walston, shared some helpful tips about five Voyager features you might not […]]]>

If you’re currently using Yardi Voyager as your property management platform, make sure you’re taking advantage of all the great features designed to make your job easier — and help your organization meet its goals faster.

One of Yardi’s own Voyager gurus, Amy Walston, shared some helpful tips about five Voyager features you might not be using, but probably should. To find out what they are and what they can do for you and your business, keep reading.

Amenity-based pricing

What it is: An amenity is an included, non-optional feature of a unit that increases or decreases its market value above or below the unit type rent. You can view units according to premiums that increase value such as cabinet upgrades or a desirable location. An example of an amenity that decreases a unit’s value is a view of a parking lot.

Benefits of using it: Pricing rental units only by number of bedrooms and bathrooms doesn’t always deliver the best results since other factors affect desirability. Attracting the right tenant at the right price is key. This tool allows you to control individual unit pricing based on the features of each unit, and lets you easily change unit pricing by updating amenity values. This tool includes user-based security to allow or restrict updates to amenity values and unit pricing.

Leasing specials

What it is: Leasing specials are deals or offers that prospects can choose when they apply for units and that residents can select when they renew leases. Specials can be created to occur only once, such as a bonus for renewing a lease early, or they can repeat monthly, such as a rent discount for signing a 14-month lease.

Benefits of using it: To improve occupancy by converting more prospects and retaining good residents, leasing specials can by extremely helpful. You can use this tool at the management level to control concessions given and offer specials to prospects and residents leasing or renewing online. Concessions may be defined in advance with an expiration date to make it easier to manage what specials are offered at what time, according to your leasing and revenue goals.

Proposal-and-approval lease renewals

What it is: A lease proposal is a renewal option that a resident may select when their lease expires. You can use this tool to offer residents a proposal for each lease term offered at a property. Proposals must be approved by management in order for a resident to select them, and renewal proposals can be created and approved in batches for convenient bulk processing. You can offer proposals to residents via renewal letters or online through RENTCafé.

Benefits of using it: Providing incentives for residents to easily renew their leases promotes maximum retention and satisfaction that supports your bottom line. This tool lets you quickly create renewal proposals for all residents with expiring leases, and the approval process provides insight and control at the management level. Through RENTCafé, residents can review their lease renewal options online, select what works best for them and then initiate the renewal.

Make-ready board

What it is: The make-ready board is a Yardi Maintenance feature (built into Voyager) that tracks all the actions required to prepare a unit for the next resident to move in. You can associate these tasks with recurring work orders. When the required tasks are identified, they are added to the make-ready board on the community manager’s dashboard for easy tracking and management.

Benefits of using it: Vacant units and a slow make-ready process, with no visibility into maintenance performance, will cost your organization time and money including lost leasing opportunities. This tool enables you to streamline and expedite the unit turn process by pre-defining work orders with all the required details to efficiently complete make-ready tasks. You get visibility into the turn process for every unit, and make-ready steps are automatically updated when your maintenance technicians use the Maintenance Mobile app — so you can get rid of that manually updated whiteboard in the leasing office.

Mortgage management

What it is: Organize, manage and report on mortgages held by third parties. This tool lets you perform tasks such as amortizing payments, scheduling payments, and posting payables through to the G/L. You can also view payment histories, make multiple escrow line-item payments, create and track interest rate tables and calculate mortgage projections.

Benefits of using it: It’s hard to be efficient with managing third-party mortgages when the supporting data is spread across multiple locations. This tool lets you easily track and manage all mortgages in one central place in Voyager, process payments for multiple mortgages at one time and report on mortgages with included analytics.

For more info about any of these features, contact your Voyager client rep. Not yet a Voyager client? Sign up for a free webinar to see it in action.

]]>https://www.yardi.com/blog/news/5-voyager-features/21542.html/feed0Voice Techhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/technology/voice-tech/21526.html
https://www.yardi.com/blog/technology/voice-tech/21526.html#respondTue, 15 Jan 2019 13:00:45 +0000Erica Rascónhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/?p=21526Voice-controlled online entertainment is flourishing in American homes. Many multifamily firms have expressed interest in smart speakers and similar tech options for their properties. Until a few industry challenges are resolved, however, voice-activated gadget cannot fulfill their potential in multifamily applications. Growing Popularity Consumers love voice-controlled devices. In 2017, about 40 percent of broadband households […]]]>

Voice-controlled online entertainment is flourishing in American homes. Many multifamily firms have expressed interest in smart speakers and similar tech options for their properties. Until a few industry challenges are resolved, however, voice-activated gadget cannot fulfill their potential in multifamily applications.

Voice-activated artificial intelligence (AI) offers multiple conveniences for users. With a simple command or question, users receive helpful information such as commute updates, weather forecasts, and reminders. Consumers also turn to voice recognition software to manage their other devices. Last year, the average American household had 8.8 devices with unique interfaces. Voice-activated technology bypasses the need to switch between devices by offering one interface for them all.

The growing popularity and usefulness of voice-controlled AI are promising. Though the technology appeals to consumers, it may not yet offer full value to property owners.

Growing Pains

Consumer-friendly AI is capable of more now than ever before. Oddly, flaws with basic functionalities still plague the technology, causing trouble for multifamily applications.

Command comprehension is the pitfall most likely to annoy users without causing serious damage. Voice-controlled tech may not respond properly because it does not understand user commands. Virtual assistants fail to accommodate for variables such as user syntax, dialects, and the use of non-English words or names. As a result, user satisfaction with virtual assistants—and the properties that carry them—will vary.

Connectivity poses a greater issue. Voice-controlled tech often integrates with other devices. A smart speaker like Alexa, for example, can control the thermostat, lighting, and alarm system for a unit. Unfortunately, interoperability—the ability for one gadget to operate seamlessly with others—is still an industry problem. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections commonly fail between AI assistants, entertainment devices, home utilities, and fixtures. About 10 percent of consumers return their voice-controlled devices because of poor interoperability.

Security risks threaten multifamily on the most severe level. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connections leave units and residents vulnerable to attacks. Hackers have used Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices to threaten owners’ safety and remotely control their homes. As long as manufacturers can get away with the minimal protections for their products, the problem will continue.

When included as a feature in the home, dissatisfaction with tech can affect reviews of the property. Rather than seeing tech integration and security as a manufacturer issue, property managers may take the heat.

Then, of course, there is change preparedness. Fast-paced development in the tech world leads to hardware with a short shelf life. Even with relevant hardware, software regularly requires updates.

Change in residents poses another issue. Frequent turnover requires apartments to establish protocols to clear old residents from device permissions and add on new residents. Multiple residents within a unit as well as residents’ guests add greater complexity. Credentials management can be a tedious and time-consuming prospect for management teams.

Currently, consumers buy their own voice-activated AIs. Associated expenses and risks become localized. Perhaps that’s for the best. Until interoperability, communication, and security issues are resolved–or at least abated–voice-operated tech may be more of a nuisance than asset for multifamily properties.

]]>https://www.yardi.com/blog/technology/voice-tech/21526.html/feed0Yardi KUBE Previewhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/technology/yardi-kube-preview/21407.html
https://www.yardi.com/blog/technology/yardi-kube-preview/21407.html#respondMon, 14 Jan 2019 13:00:16 +0000Erica Rascónhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/?p=21407Ed. Note: WUN KUBE has joined the family of Yardi property management software. KUBE provides a suite of technology products for coworking and shared space management. This piece on the new platform originally appeared on the KUBE Blog. As we approach the much anticipated release of the new Yardi KUBE platform, we conducted a client-exclusive […]]]>

Ed. Note: WUN KUBE has joined the family of Yardi property management software. KUBE provides a suite of technology products for coworking and shared space management. This piece on the new platform originally appeared on the KUBE Blog.

As we approach the much anticipated release of the new Yardi KUBE platform, we conducted a client-exclusive Q&A session to address a variety of topics. The response was overwhelmingly positive and we cannot wait to debut the new KUBE. We will beta launch in January 2019, and full roll-out is set for April.

Below, we’re going to summarize some of the main talking points from the recent webinar.

What are the main changes for KUBE?

It’s tough to put into words exactly the incredible extent to which Yardi is impacting our platform, but we tried to do so again in the webinar.

Dale Hersowitz, our VP of Coworking, explained that Yardi is best known for building software for the real estate industry, from commercial to multiunit to many other facets. They are now fully diving into the Coworking world with the acquisition of WUN last year.

The most important change for KUBE is essentially putting together a single stack. What does that mean? Yardi has a full general ledger suite, an accounting package, they’re also a merchant, they offer a vendor procurement solution, they are an e-broker, and KUBE will continue to provide the operational component to power your day to day functions of your space. No more third-party integrations. Yardi will encompass 7 modules in one tightly integrated solution.

Everything in a single platform allows for greater efficiency, cost savings, prevents leakage, and enables operators to scale effectively.

Enhancements and New Features

The attendees asked several questions regarding the enhancements of the new platform.

Yardi has a robust accounting platform called Voyager. The new KUBE platform will not only be integrated with Voyager, it will be an extension of that existing platform. So a full blown GL suite is a huge enhancement to the existing KUBE. In-house payment processing is a major upgrade as well. No longer will you have to reconcile with third party apps like authorize.net or Stripe, for example.

We will now have the ability to process any fees in-house. We will also give the operator control over who is assessed any payment or credit card fees. Check scanning is going to be available as well, which allows for scanning and depositing straight from your desk.

We’ll have an all new vendor bill pay management system, where you can upload vendor invoices to our portal and fully automate the payment process.

The ILS (Internet Listing Service) is already live, at www.commercialcafe.com. There is now a Coworking and Shared Space section of the site, so you can search for spaces throughout the US. The database is being worked on daily and will expand internationally soon.

With the recent acquisition of Phoenix Broadband, our cloud-based data appliance is also now an in-house product and we’re bringing it into the US as early as Q1 2019. Our phone service will also be more robust and include many new features thanks to our new relationship with Cisco.

And one of the key features of Yardi KUBE is connecting billing to connectivity management, meaning your voice, data, Wi-Fi. Activation and setup happen simultaneously. You don’t have to activate service in one place and add the charge in another, its now connected.

Learn more about updates to the member portal, reporting and benefits for the existing WUN KUBE on the KUBE Blog.

]]>https://www.yardi.com/blog/technology/yardi-kube-preview/21407.html/feed0Yardi Bill Payhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/news/yardi-bill-pay-2/21518.html
https://www.yardi.com/blog/news/yardi-bill-pay-2/21518.html#respondFri, 11 Jan 2019 13:00:24 +0000Joel Nelsonhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/?p=21518We recently caught up with Jesse Dowler, Client Services Division manager for residential clients of Yardi Bill Pay. He started his support career as a technical account manager at Yardi in 2009. What is Yardi Bill Pay and what does it do for property managers? Yardi Bill Pay is an optional element of the Yardi […]]]>

We recently caught up with Jesse Dowler, Client Services Division manager for residential clients of Yardi Bill Pay. He started his support career as a technical account manager at Yardi in 2009.

Jesse Dowler

What is Yardi Bill Pay and what does it do for property managers?

Yardi Bill Pay is an optional element of the Yardi Procure to Pay Suite or the Yardi Payment Processing service, which outsources to Yardi the process of paying vendors. The Bill Pay team at Yardi pulls invoices from the client’s Yardi Voyager database, routes them through the client’s approval workflow, and pays the vendor by the client’s preferred method—ACH, electronic funds transfer, credit card or paper check.

Why do clients want to adopt Yardi Bill Pay?

Processing invoices and going through all the steps to complete payments take a lot of time and labor. Check printers are expensive too. When you’re going through thousands of invoices a month, those expenses add up fast. It’s easier to let Yardi do it all. Not only does Yardi relieve the manual labor, but our check printing is less expensive as well, for clients choosing that option. About 40% of Bill Pay clients prefer checks so that’s still a popular payment method.

What point do you and the Bill Pay team emphasize when discussing Bill Pay with clients and prospects?

A major proposition for Bill Pay is its integration with Voyager and the workflows established there. Clients continue to use the Commit Payment and Process Payment screens as they are accustomed to, and once payments are processed in Voyager, Yardi Bill Pay steps in and handles the movement of the actual cash, including check printing and sending ACH instructions to banking institutions.

How did Yardi Bill Pay evolve?

A small team at Yardi started building it in 2016 as part of the expansion of electronic payment technology, so it’s still fairly new.

How has it been received in the marketplace?

Our clients are very excited about it, and they especially like the option for credit card payments, which often include rebates. Our client base has grown by more than 650% since 2017.

What factors might accelerate the adoption of Yardi Bill Pay?

Real estate companies need all the productivity they can get from their current resources. They want to handle more invoices without adding accounts payable staff or overhead. Bill Pay adds productivity by taking over the time-consuming tasks of printing and mailing checks or generating and uploading ACH files to the bank, thereby expanding AP capabilities without adding resources. The ability to accommodate every payment method adds to its attractiveness.

What is Yardi’s Bill Pay team?

I oversee eight dedicated CSD team members in California, and North Carolina from Yardi’s office in Oxnard, Calif. Our support includes presales consultations and product demonstrations as well as implementation and ongoing user assistance. We log in daily to all Bill Pay client accounts, process pending invoices and send them to banking institutions.

]]>https://www.yardi.com/blog/news/yardi-bill-pay-2/21518.html/feed0Cold Work, Warm Heartshttps://www.yardi.com/blog/giving/cold-work-warm-hearts/21496.html
https://www.yardi.com/blog/giving/cold-work-warm-hearts/21496.html#respondThu, 10 Jan 2019 13:00:22 +0000Erica Rascónhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/?p=21496Have you ever wondered how food banks get fresh produce and meats to people in need? Such perishable items require special care and the work of dedicated volunteers. Yardi Raleigh employees endured the winter temperatures to provide nutritious meals for the hungry. A Lasting Relationship Yardi Raleigh has been a proud sponsor of the Food […]]]>

Have you ever wondered how food banks get fresh produce and meats to people in need? Such perishable items require special care and the work of dedicated volunteers. Yardi Raleigh employees endured the winter temperatures to provide nutritious meals for the hungry.

A Lasting Relationship

Yardi Raleigh has been a proud sponsor of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina (CENC) for several years. Its simple yet vital mission to feed the hungry has spoken to the hearts of Yardi team members. They have dedicated their time, energy, and resources the cause.

Their work is needed now more than ever. The nonprofit services about 600,000 people across 34 counties in the state. Through its care, children, seniors, and other vulnerable groups receive nutritious food, clean water, and the educational resources needed for self-sufficiency.

In emergencies, such as recent natural disasters, Food Bank CENC acts as a first responder. As soon a safe pathways are cleared, the Food Bank opens its branches and satellite locations to provide food to those displaced by flooding, hurricanes, and other acts of nature.

In the past, Yardi Raleigh team members have made financial contributions, sorted goods, and packed boxes for Food Bank CENC. The most recent visit the food pantry proved to be a bone chilling yet heart warming experience!

Rather than packing non-perishable goods, Yardi Raleigh got a taste of the meat freezer. Volunteers Rose Hiebert, David Minehart, Steve Sharpe and Mike Harrison were responsible for packing 230 boxes of perishable items such as frozen poultry, beef and pork. That’s nearly 7,400 pounds of meat! The proteins will be a part of 6,100 balanced meals to feed those in need.

Conditions in the warehouse were roughly 32 degrees, similar to outdoor temperatures. Volunteers bundled up to sort meats in the boxes and then transport those boxes from the warehouse into the deep freezer, which maxed out at -9 degrees.

“All the teammates were excited to volunteer and looking forward to the project with interest, as none of us had done this particular type of volunteer work before,” explained Rose Hiebert, Project Manager, CSD at Yardi.

“The current event was a good time to share an experience with co-workers, to have the sense that we at Yardi cared about and acted for our larger community, and to share that experience with people from across the Triangle,” said Rose.

Yardi employees are Energized for Good! Learn more on the Giving Page.

]]>https://www.yardi.com/blog/giving/cold-work-warm-hearts/21496.html/feed0Smarter Senior Livinghttps://www.yardi.com/blog/uncategorized/smarter-senior-living/21521.html
https://www.yardi.com/blog/uncategorized/smarter-senior-living/21521.html#respondWed, 09 Jan 2019 13:00:07 +0000Erica Rascónhttps://www.yardi.com/blog/?p=21521It’s never too late to make a resolution for the New Year, especially if it improves efficiencies at your senior housing properties. Resolve to go mobile! When you make the transition to mobile charting, you pave the way to success. What is Mobile Charting? Mobile charting is simply the act of entering resident information on […]]]>

It’s never too late to make a resolution for the New Year, especially if it improves efficiencies at your senior housing properties. Resolve to go mobile! When you make the transition to mobile charting, you pave the way to success.

What is Mobile Charting?

Mobile charting is simply the act of entering resident information on the go. Care staff enters resident data into Yardi Senior Living Suite using a mobile device. Resident data can then be conveniently and securely stored in cloud.

Why makes the transition from paper to mobile charting? We’re glad that you asked. Here are five benefits to making the switch.

5 Benefits of Mobile Charting

Mobile charting increases care staff time with residents. When staff can’t access a mobile device to enter resident data, they must interrupt their rounds to do so. That means less time engaging with residents and more time tethered to a desk. With mobile charting, care staff naturally integrate data entry into their resident visits.

Mobile charting improves accuracy and consistency of resident data. Remember how staff scurries between residents’ rooms and office computers to enter data? In the shuffle, they struggle to remember details from one visit to the next. This may result in inaccuracies and missing data. With mobile charting, there is no lag time between receiving and entering data. Immediate record keeping results in greater accuracy and better care for residents.

Mobile charting enhances accountability amongst care staff. With paper charting, it isn’t always easy to tell who altered a file or when. When a staff member logs into Yardi EHR on a mobile device, their contributions to resident files are marked with a date and electronic signature. The automatic features enhance accountability and record keeping.

Property managers can save time, reduce errors and decrease paper use with Yardi Bill Pay, an automated vendor payment solution.

Yardi Bill Pay, part of the Yardi Procure to Pay Suite, automates check writing, electronic payments and credit card processing for accounts payable (AP). Payments are issued and distributed, then recorded in the user’s Yardi Voyager database in real time. Yardi Bill Pay works seamlessly with approval workflows. Just click a button to authorize Yardi to make the payment on your behalf via ACH, check or credit card.

The solution pulls daily payments from the user’s database, creates and transmits files to the user’s banking network, then sends acknowledgement files back to Yardi Voyager.

Yardi Bill Pay users have always been able to process incoming payments for accounts receivable, and they can now manage that process and AP from one platform.

More than a passive routing system, Yardi Bill Pay can be an active revenue earner by turning AP in a revenue center with credit card payments. Clients have the option of obtaining single-use Mastercard®-branded virtual card numbers to make payments to their vendors. Yardi completes the entire paperless transaction through vendor payment.

Benefits of the credit card option include:

Earning a rebate percentage on every dollar spent through a credit card

Frictionless payment—you just process a payment in Yardi Voyager and the vendor sees the money in their bank a few days later

“With both buyers and suppliers looking for ways to increase efficiency and improve their bottom line, virtual card programs can unlock shared value that meets the needs of all parties.” Single-use account solutions combine “the benefits of a purchasing card, the functionality of a check and the efficiencies of ACH,” Kevin Morey, head of B2B supplier experience for J.P. Morgan Commercial Card, wrote in 2017.

Perhaps the biggest benefit is being able to see everything related to your daily in-and-out cash flow in one place. “Bill Pay provides our clients with flexibility for the management of their vendor and owner payments,” said John Pendergast, senior vice president of client services for Yardi. “The payment dashboard also alerts you to any payment issues for quick resolution.”

Join a free webinar to learn how the Yardi Procure to Pay drives efficiency by automating the entire AP process.